• “The culture is strong. People genuinely like working with each other and socializing outside of work.”
• “The firm sponsors both educational and social events. The affinity groups sponsor events and coffee hours, and associates take it upon themselves to organize small group get-togethers for informal gatherings.”
• “When we're all in the office, we're a collegial group. For as hard charging as we are, we do make a point of socializing, both at planned events and spontaneously in the halls. During the pandemic, the firm has done a number of fun social activities over WebEx where partners and associates with unique talents have a chance to entertain and teach.”
• “The Charlotte office has monthly social events (prior to the pandemic), and each lawyer is provided with $250 per quarter to spend on social/mentoring events with their mentors.”

From the Firm: This budget is applicable in every Cadwalader office.

• “The associate/partner relationships are very productive and collaborative. Every matter feels like a true team led by a partner who cares about the associate. It is important to the partners not only that the associates do good work, but [that they] have a good experience and learn as they go. I feel comfortable reaching out to partners directly.”
• “Partners, at least in my practice group, have been great and look out for the associates as much as they are able to do so. Transparency of firm performance and finances could be better, but performance reviews are conducted at least annually if not more often, with partners and senior associates regularly available to answer questions and provide feedback when requested.”
• “Partner/associate relations are generally good. Partnership was not transparent during work-from-home and [the firm has] acknowledged their shortcomings. Could have communicated plans and thought process better but has owned that fact.”
• “Partners interact well with associates, but often decision making on the management level is a black box.”

• “I am given a lot of work, but not more than I can handle. I work with a great team that balances everyone's obligations well.”
• “We definitely have flexibility. The hours are unpredictable though, and that is tough to get used to.”
• “Never felt like I've had more work than was possible to complete.”
• “When things aren't super busy, there is a lot of flexibility, and everyone respects outside commitments. However, we can only count 100 qualified non-billables towards the 2,000-hour requirement, and that includes pro bono, diversity initiatives, training, recruiting, and mentoring. Many of us hit the 100 [hours] in the first quarter.”

• “Well compensated, especially in secondary market.”
• “Compensation amount is market; however, [it] comes with certain caveats and eligibility requirements that some people were not happy about.”
• “Many associates, myself included, were frustrated when the firm chose not to give full market COVID bonuses. They reason for doing so wasn't really explained and we felt the firm was not transparent about the decision at all.”
• “Associates can make an extra 20% of their end-of-year bonus if they bill 2,200 hours (normal bonus is awarded at 2,000 hours, or 1,900 hours + 100 hours of qualified non-billable hours).”

• “I get to run my own deals and interface with clients directly. It's the best part of my job.”
• “Most of my time is spent on substantive legal work. We have a lean team, and everyone needs to be both client facing and turning work product constantly. I am challenged to work above my level, but I have learned more than I think I would with a slower growth progression.”
• “My firm will give associates as much responsibility for larger and larger assignments as they demonstrate they can handle. I regularly am given the opportunity to run deals for multi-billion-dollar credit facilities because the partners in my practice group have come to recognize that I can do the work. And I'm not alone—all associates at my class-year level have the same opportunity.”
• “Draft motions, prepare depositions, second/third-level doc review. Very satisfied with [my] work and know it exceeds the kind of work I should be doing at my year level.”

• “The firm has adapted to working remotely, but I don't know that anything about the platforms has changed. We now have video meetings, but everything else on the computer is pretty much the same as working in the office.”
• “We have been able to work from home as seamlessly as one could expect given the pandemic.”
• “Excellent tech resources (e.g., automated drafting tools; document comparison software; document organization/retrieval programs). Compared to documents we receive from other firms, we seem to have better technological resources than most.”

• “The firm regularly hosts virtual wellness events.”
• “Meditation class offered. Open-door meetings with attorney development weekly.”
• “General concern for mental health, but can do more to encourage attorney care to avoid burnout.”

• “I have both an associate mentor and a partner mentor with whom I communicate regularly. There are billing codes for mentorship so you don't feel like you're wasting associate/partner time. and mentors are allotted spending money for these meetings.”
• “My practice group has weekly and biweekly training meetings and biweekly training sessions on specific areas of our practice. The training sessions are video recorded so they can be reviewed again in the future. All new associate and staff attorney hires receive one-on-one training sessions with about a dozen of their peers. We receive a quarterly mentorship budget to schedule mentorship activities with our mentors/mentees.”
• “Trainings occur regularly, both firmwide and more focused on our practice group. New attorneys have been able to integrate into the team, in spite of working remotely, due to formal and informal training.”
• “Senior associates are amazing at explaining assignments and helping new hires in getting acquainted.”

• “Yes, promotion is completely realistic for those at my firm who would like to make partner and are willing to make it happen. Other non-partner roles include counsel, special counsel, and senior attorney positions. Exit opportunities for associates at my firm are incredibly broad. The partnership process is clear cut and transparent for those who seek that opportunity.”
• “… Most associates do not realistically see a path to partnership, and in litigation, they focus on finding exit opportunities in government, in-house, or in non-legal industry business opportunities.”
• “The partnership process seems pretty clear, but how attainable it is remains to be seen. There's been a lot of lateral hiring of partners, so unsure how this will affect rising class years.”

• “Our pro bono coordinator is phenomenal—dedicated, kind, organized, and completely on top of things. Our firm encourages pro bono and respects pro bono commitments, but, because of the hours requirement, most pro bono work must be done on our own time, which acts as a disincentive.”
• “Annie Mohan [Manager of Pro Bono] does an incredible job at making sure we have plenty of diverse pro bono opportunities. The firm's commitment to immigration pro bono, through the Immigration Clinic, should also be applauded.”
• “The firm does encourage us to do pro bono work and highlights lawyers who do pro bono work. I have worked on name changes for transgender individuals, asylum cases, and counseling small businesses. Pro bono activities do count towards our allocation of ‘qualified non-billable’ hours.”
• “The firm actively encourages associates to participate, and there is a strong core of attorneys dedicated to helping with pro bono work.”

• “My firm clearly cares very deeply about diversity in all of the listed areas. My firm places a major priority on hiring, retaining, and promoting diverse candidates. They even offer ‘qualified non-billable’ credit for diversity-related activities that allows associates to qualify for bonuses.”
• “The firm places a large emphasis on the importance of diversity.”
• “Affinity groups are an active part of the firm. However, like almost all BigLaw firms, there is a disproportionate lack of minority partners.”
• “The firm does have a lot of programming and is very conscious of the diversity within the firm. We have a very dedicated team, but unclear to what extent programming is effective in addressing these issues within the firm.”
• “The firm places a large emphasis on the importance of diversity.”